I met Nki at Hastings High, where we both joined the Black History Club. I was on the dance team, and it didn’t take long for me to notice her sharp sense of humor and lively personality. She had this effortless charm about her, and I couldn’t help but admire her from the start. One day, while walking to the annex with my friends Godswill and Kizito, we saw Nki walking with her sister Chinny and Omaliko one of our mutual friends. She was goofing around with her signature playful walk, and my friends filled me in on how much of a character she could be. A few days later at a pep rally, I casually said hello to Omaliko, not realizing Nki was sitting right next to her. That moment stuck with me, and I found myself wanting to get to know her better. The turning point came when I spotted Nki on Instagram through a mutual friend’s story. She looked stunning, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to reach out. The next day, I introduced myself (a little awkwardly) at Black History Club. She was friendly and approachable, and we exchanged Kik usernames to keep the conversation going. From there, our chats were easy, light, and filled with laughter. As we got to know each other, I found myself liking her more and more. Eventually, I worked up the courage to ask if I could court her. To my excitement, she said yes, and we’ve been inseparable ever since. Meeting Nki was the beginning of something truly special. She has brought so much love and joy into my life, and I’ll always be grateful for the day our paths crossed at Hastings High.

Kelvin and I are your typical high school sweethearts—lol. I had just returned from schooling in Nigeria when I started 10th grade at Alief Hastings High School. As a new student, meeting someone wasn’t exactly on my mind—I was focused on adjusting to school and settling into my environment. But after joining the Black History Club, I met Kelvin, and everything started to change. The first time I noticed him, he was practicing a dance for an upcoming club showcase. I thought he was kind of cute (lol), but at the time, that’s as far as it went. As we spent more time together during after-school club meetings, Kelvin would try to start conversations with me. I could tell he was a little shy from some of the awkward (but sweet) things he’d say. Eventually, he told me he wanted us to be more than friends. I was hesitant at first. But if you know Kelvin, you know how persistent he can be. The more we talked, the closer we became, and soon we started dating. Four years passed, and we spent that time building countless memories together. We were inseparable, dreaming of forever even at such a young age. In 2019, our paths took us in different directions. Life, however, had other plans. We kept in contact as friends and at one point we worked at the same place, and slowly, we began talking every day again. We started doing the things we used to love, like going to the gym together, and rekindled the bond we always had. By February 2021, Kelvin expressed his feelings to me again, and this time, we both knew it was right. We’ve been inseparable ever since.